Three Joint Rescue Coordination Centers (JRCC) operated by the CCG and DND, located at Victoria, Trenton, and Halifax are responsible for coordinating the response to maritime incidents, as shown in the figure below.

One of the primary sources for incident information is the Canadian Coast Guard Search and Rescue database, SISAR. Each incident in the SISAR database details the position, time, and type of vessel that was assisted, as well as many other factors surrounding the event.

This figure below shows the spatial distribution of incidents extracted from the SISAR database for a particular year. Most incidents in the SISAR database are accidents, such as collisions, capsizings, or persons overboard. However, SISAR also contains records of incidents that may have required assistance but are not considered accidents, as there was no imminent danger or harm associated with them. For example, a boat that has run out of gas and is adrift may require Coast Guard assistance, but is not imminently dangerous or harmful to anyone or anything involved.

For major medical emergencies on board, rapid transportation to medical facilities is sometimes required, referred to as a humanitarian assist. Although this type of incident does not usually involve vessel damage, the spatial distribution of vessels combined with the number people on board dictates the level of exposure amount for this type of event

There are several other types of incidents associated with maritime traffic that do not fall under SAR jurisdiction and, therefore, are not often present in the SISAR database. These types of incidents however, still require monitoring and/or assistance. Some examples include:

• Oil spills: spatial maritime traffic analysis can be used to identify areas that have a historically high risk of oil spills. Although catastrophic events such as the Exxon Valdez grounding have the highest public profile, the cumulative effect of smaller spills from all types and sizes of vessels have a significant detrimental impact on the environmental.
• Ballast water discharges: The intercontinental movement of vessels allows the transport of micro-organisms (phytoplankton and zooplankton) in the ballast water which is added or expelled from tanks to stabilize the vessel. Introduction of these alien species into an environment often wreaks havoc on the eco-system. A well-known example is the proliferation of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes, which were inadvertently introduced from Europe. Another concern is that ballast water may contain pollutants.
• Collisions with whales: This is a serious concern, particularly in areas where whales congregate near shipping lanes, especially for certain endangered species such as the North Atlantic Right Whale. MARIN’s traffic models have been used to help develop strategies to alleviate this situation (Whale Collision Avoidance).